Final Stand: Ragnarok News

Our 1.0 update for Final Stand: Ragnarök is now live! We’ve been working for the past few months to get everything ready for this update, and we’re thrilled to finally share it with you. This includes a lot of polish and updates to existing content (check out the new looks for our zones and Champions) and quality of life improvements to help the game run more smoothly. Take a look down below for more details!



[h2]Map Beautification[/h2]

Our Environment team has been hard at work polishing our current zones for the 1.0 release! We’ve got a number of changes to both the Towers of Vigrith (formerly ‘Horde') and Arena scenarios, which we’ll cover below.



The Towers of Vigrith scenario has been updated with an expansive new background and skybox. On top of these changes, we’ve been adding terrain props and environmental variety for more visual interest while defending the Towers of Vigrith from Hel! In addition, we’ve made improvements to the aesthetics of the health and mana pools, making them stand out a bit more from the background as places of import.



Arena has received a lot of attention on various terrain materials, helping improve the visual flow of the level. And just to show we’re not playing favorites, we’ve given a facelift to the health and mana pools in this scenario as well.

[h2]Champion Updates![/h2]



We’ve transitioned all of our current Champions to their new V2 models! This overhaul affects their base skins and all future skins, and allows us to iterate on any future cosmetic work much more quickly and efficiently.

In addition to the updates made to each Champion’s model, we’ve implemented several balance changes. This includes updated recharge times for ultimate abilities, ultimates now using mana, and an assortment of other small tweaks which you can read about in the Release Notes section below.

[h2]Quality of Life Improvements![/h2]



Over the course of our development of FSR 1.0 we’ve been working on a number of new systems that should improve a player’s general quality of life. The most major of these are the new Reporting and Muting system, allowing players to address bad actors in-game. If you run into a troublemaker or ne’er-do-well, simply click on their name in the game’s menu in order to report them so we can take care of it. We’ve also improved the UI for better flow and readability, added additional UI info for shielded NPCs (such as Slozas), and various smaller tweaks here and there.



[h2]Major Features[/h2]
XP Potions

• We’ve introduced new XP potions for both Champion and Season XP. The Champion XP potions can be purchased now, while Season XP potions will go live with the upcoming Season Pass.
  

Reporting and Muting Features

• We’ve implemented a system for reporting and muting bad actors in-game.
  

[h2]Art[/h2]
Map Improvements

• The current scenarios, Towers of Vigrith (formerly Horde) and Arena, have been updated with better set dressing, terrain reworks, and a new skybox on Towers of Vigrith.
  

Champion V2 Models

• We’ve updated all Champions to use new V2 models. These are reworks of their skins to match the new base meshes we’ve been working on. So flex those muscles and check them out!
  

[h2]FX[/h2]
Freeze and Burn VFX

• As part of a series of visual updates, we’ve changed the “burning” and “frozen” FX applied to both Champions and NPCs for better visibility…and to look way more epic.
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]
Wwise Update

• We took the opportunity to update the version of Wwise (our audio engine) we currently use. While there’s outwardly nothing this impacts, it gives us access to more tools on the audio-side for future developments.
  

Soundbank Optimization

• A major overhaul of soundbanks has been completed, massively improving their memory utilization. Players should see big improvements to their memory usage in-game due to this change.
  

Voice Acting for Dialogue

• The biggest change players will hear would be new voice acting for all dialogue on both Horde and Arena. Our team contributed their voices to Final Stand: Ragnarok’s characters, bringing new life to the dialogue!
  

Assorted Other Audio Updates

• In addition to the above, we have some other smaller audio updates for Champion Selection, SFX volume tweaks, and other miscellaneous areas of our soundscape. You may notice that Aella’s bow in particular sounds a bit more powerful with each arrow loosed.
  

[h2]UI[/h2]
Store Item Tabs

• We’ve added additional item tabs to the store for supporting several new item types - Sprint FX, Portraits, and XP Potions.
  

NPC Health Bar Shielded Status

• An improvement to the final bosses has landed, which gives their health bar a special “shielded” status to clearly show their nigh-invulnerability while shielded.
  

General UI Updates

• A variety of our UI pages have been given a visual update. This includes Season Pass UIs, the Match Summary, Champion Equipment selection, Rune Mods, and more.
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]
Assorted Champion Balance Changes

• We’ve implemented a number of balance updates to Champions. The most major of these impacts Champions’ ultimate abilities - they now have different cooldown times per Champion and require Mana to activate.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug where occasionally Champions would go straight into dead state instead of down.
  
• Fixed a bug where the scenario summary page might not show the correct amount of XP.
  
• Fixed some cases where alert stars were not created for rewards obtained through a quest.
  
• Fixed a bug which caused the UI to fetch the player's profile many times.
  
• Champion damage boosts are now applied correctly across all layers.
  

With our 1.0 release of Final Stand: Ragnarök, we’ve completed our core content and are looking toward expanding it going forward. While we have a lot of future content in development right now, we’re particularly excited for a new scenario we’ve been hinting at the past few updates! This will be our first zone set indoors, with the Champions venturing deep into Hel’s territory. Stay tuned for more news on when players will be able to enter the Dungeon Maze!





And that wraps up everything we have to cover for our 1.0 release. With our new map edits, Champion changes, and quality of life updates, there’s a lot to enjoy right now. Not to mention, we have a new scenario to look forward to in the coming months! As of this writing, 1.0.1 has shipped, and you can read more about the hotfix here. Keep an eye for more updates coming soon!

If you’re looking for other Champions to play with, you can check out the FSR Discord server here.

We’ll see you on the battlefield, Champions!

We have exciting news for everybody who is interested in playing a co-op action hacker slasher like none you have ever seen before. Our 1.0 update for Final Stand: Ragnarök is now live! We have been hard at work to get to this point, and with this update, we enter the final phase of Early Access for this game. We can’t wait for you to experience the new features, systems and content Final Stand: Ragnarök has to offer. Among these are improved enemy AI, updated art, overhauled character models, and more that you can read in today’s patch notes. These notes are a summary of what we have been working on up to the launch of 1.0, but it only scratches the surface of all the amazing work the team has done to bring this game to you.

Note: You can read about more in depth changes from these updates by reading our past newsletters here. In the future, these newsletters will also be posted on Steam for ease of access.



[h2]Art[/h2]
[h3]Map Improvements[/h3]

• Updated Mana and Health pools in Arena and Towers of Vigrith.
  
• Added terrain and plant diversity to Towers of Vigrith.
  
• Added a new skybox to Towers of Vigrith.
  

[h3]Champions[/h3]

• Updated Champions to V2 models.
  

[h3]FX[/h3]

• Updated 'burning' and 'frozen' FX applied to Champions and NPCs.
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]

• Improved soundbank memory usage to improve performance.
  
• Added voice acting for dialog in Arena and Towers of Vigrith.
  
• Various updates and adjustments to menu screens and Champion SFX.
  

[h2]UI[/h2]

• Added additional tabs to the store front to support new cosmetics.
  
• Added a “shielded” status to final bosses.
  
• Various visual updates to menu screens.
  
• Added player reporting system found in the match menu.
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• Updated Champions’ ultimate cooldown timers and Mana costs.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug where occasionally Champions would immediately die instead of entering a downed state.
  
• Fixed a bug where the scenario summary page might not show the correct amount of XP gained.
  
• Fixed some cases where alert stars were not created for rewards obtained through a quest.
  

[h2]Major Features[/h2]
[h3]Matchmaking[/h3]

• Reduced matchmaking times by improving server connectivity and reconnection systems.
  
• Players can now form groups and queue into matchmaking as a team.
  

[h3]Performance[/h3]

• Improved performance and reduced latency in both the Towers of Vigrith and Arena scenarios.
  
• Improved terrain’s level of detail to persist at greater distances.
  

[h3]Storefront[/h3]

• New customization options are now available for Champions on the storefront.
  
• Ghostly skins and weapons are now available for all Champions.
  
• New ‘dance’, ‘cheer’, ‘laugh’, and ‘scared’ emotes available for all Champions.
  
• Added a new Battle Pass menu to offer free and premium reward options to customize your account and characters. The Battle Pass can be progressed through playing the game, completing quests, or earning XP potions.
  
• While the framework for the Battle Pass is in place, it is not yet implemented - but will be in the near future!
  

[h3]Miscellaneous[/h3]

• Added an emote wheel where players can equip multiple emotes.
  

[h2]Art[/h2]
[h3]Scenarios[/h3]

• Updated and made general improvements to map structures and set decorations in Arena and Towers of Vigrith.
  
• Updated visual appearance of Towers and trees.
  

[h3]Champions and Combatants[/h3]

• Added customizable Champion sprint FX.
  
• Updated the Fire Giant King’s visual appearance.
  

[h2]Animation[/h2]

• Improved animation rigs to better support projectile aiming and projectile accuracy.
  
• Added new crawling animations for downed characters.
  

[h2]Quality of Life[/h2]
[h3]Bad Actor Management[/h3]

• Players can now be muted in text and in voice through the in-game match menu.
  

[h2]AI[/h2]
[h3]General Behavior
[/h3]Improved enemy behavior when in large groups so that they better surround their opponents.

• Improved obstacle avoidance and navigation in tight spaces and around objects.
  
• Improved the lure behavior for enemy combatants around movement.
  
• Improved flying AI pathfinding and navigation.
  
• Updated behavior to reduce number of idle combatants.
  

[h2]FX[/h2]
[h3]Status Effects[/h3]

• Improved poison FX to both Champions and NPCs.
  

[h3]Miscellaneous[/h3]

• Added damaging feedback FX to summoning portals.
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]
[h3]Dialog and Voice Over[/h3]

• Added additional dialog to describe objectives and NPCs in scenarios.
  

[h3]System Sounds & Music[/h3]

• Added audio to the Champion selection screen, sound effects, and more.
  
• Updated SFX for Champion Mods.
  
• Added damaging feedback audio cues to summoning portals.
  
• Improved footstep and landing audio.
  
• Added a new musical theme to the summary screen.
  
• Updated Aella’s main attack audio.
  
• Updated main menu music and loading screen music.
  
• Improved accuracy of volume sliders in the settings menu.
  

[h2]UI[/h2]
[h3]Game UI[/h3]

• Updated Champion Mod progression page.
  
• Updated loading screen image.
  
• The compass is now populated with points of interest including objectives and bosses.
  
• Added UI notification when autorun is enabled.
  
• Improved UI flow and readability for the Battle Pass menu, match summary menu, and more.
  
• Damage numbers are now available and can be activated in the settings menu.
  

[h3]System UI & Experience[/h3]

• Improved 4k display support.
  
• Standardized all fonts in the game.
  
• Added ‘Advanced HUD’ to the options menu to track team and NPC counts.
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]
[h3]Combatants[/h3]

• Added Corpse Giant mini boss combatant.
  
• Added spiders and three variants, Poison, Ice, and Fire.
  
• Added Shadow Wraith and two variants, Flame and Treasure.
  
• Added Frost Giant mini boss combatant.
  

[h3]General Gameplay[/h3]

• Added a final boss wave, Fire Giant King Slozas, to Towers of Vigrith.
  
• Players will now earn XP after each match based on their performance and objectives completed.
  
• In the Towers of Vigrith scenario, some objective towers now require activation as a wave ending event.
  
• Time and dialog between waves has been reduced to improve the flow of matches.
  
• Arena has been added to the map rotation.
  
• Added a Healing Tower to Arena that will revive downed Champions and restore all Champions’ health.
  
• Random item chests have been added to Arena.
  
• Towers are now activated by interaction instead of player positioning.
  
• The number of Frost Giants in a wave now scales to the number of players in the match.
  
• New items have been added to the battle chests.
  
• The Mana Runestone, a deployable item which creates a temporary field which restores mana over time for any players within it.
  
• Added warning dialog for when a tower reaches half health.
  
• Enemies will be cleared at the end of each wave in the Towers of Vigrith scenario.
  

[h3]Champions[/h3]

• Overhauled Aella’s ultimate to now increase damage to multiple opponents after they are stunned.
  
• Players now have unlimited stamina to sprint with for a period of 35 seconds between waves.
  
• Added Champion Mods to Champions to customize your playstyle
  
• Champion Mods alter how you play a given character, from switching passive effects to changing how your active abilities work entirely.
  
• Champion Mods are initially locked and will require XP with a given Champion to unlock.
  
• Activate your mods in combat by collecting Heroic Rune pick-ups from combatants and battle chests.
  
• Champions can now enter a downed state when they hit 0 health and can be revived by a teammate.
  
• Champion damage boosts are now applied correctly across all layers.
  
• Jalb’s Retaliation ability will now taunt enemies at close range.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• There have been a number of improvements made to increase performance and reduce latency. While we haven’t completed the full suite of improvements we’d like to make, there should be noticeably better projectile aiming and ability timing.
  
• Several Champion Mods have been tweaked for balance and better functionality.
  
• UI improvements have been made to accommodate new progression menus as well as fix potential issues with unhandled state transitions.
  
• An issue where Champions were unable to use or place items has been resolved.
  
• A bug that was causing the music for Frost Giant waves to not play correctly has been resolved.
  
• Major code updates to how interactions work.
  
• Fix for an issue that caused Jalb's Purifying Flames to sometimes remain active after the intended ability length.
  
• Enemy NPCs now properly attack barricades again.
  
• Fix for an issue that allowed you to be healed while down, which put your character into an unintended state where you had health but were still incapacitated.
  
• Dialogue no longer is filtered when downed, making it a lot clearer when a Champion is waiting for a revive.
  
• Fix for Gwen’s Inspire ability SFX being too loud.
  
• Jalb’s Purifying Flames ability SFX adjusted to loop properly and change pitch while he is moving.
  
• Various audio bug fixes for SFX volume, SFX not playing when they should, and SFX that played at a specific volume regardless of the player's sound settings.
  
• Major FX Cleanup pass - this fixed up a lot of our data to be more precise about what FX a status should play (VFX, SFX, both, neither) and fixed issues where sometimes the wrong FX would play.
  
• When an item swaps which model it uses, shader effects on the original model are no longer lost.
  
• Fixed the boss icon so that it is properly centered vertically in its UI.
  
• Fixed the colors of the pool icons when they appear on the compass to match their in-world icons.
  
• Fixed a bug which caused the UI to fetch the player's profile too many times.
  

With FS:R 1.0 now live on Steam Early Access, we knew it was important to list all of the improvements and changes we’ve recently made. Rest assured that we have much more content coming in the near future, and going forward you can expect to find patch notes for every update right here on Steam. You can also read about past updates in more detail (and all future major updates) by subscribing to our FS:R newsletter. We can’t thank you enough for your support, and we are happy to have entered the final phase of Early Access.

Over the next few months you can expect a host of new features - the first look at a brand new scenario, numerous bug fixes, and changes based on feedback from you, our players. We want to hear what you would like to see added to FS:R and what you think about incoming changes as well. While this is something that so many developers say, we will prove we’re the kind of developer that actually does want to hear and engage directly with feedback. FS:R is a fun game right now, but like every game it needs to (and will) continue to improve in order to give you what we promised - a co-op action hacker slasher unlike anything else out there. And what you’ll never see from us are exploitative loot crates or anti-player practices. What you will see is a lot of fun, and for every bump on the road in this journey we can promise that things won’t be dull.

Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing you in game!